AUSTRALIAN GREENS—SENATOR RHIANNON

Senator Bernardi, pursuant to notice of motion not objected to as a formal motion, moved general business notice of motion no. 637—That the Senate agrees with Senator Rhiannon who was reported in the official notes of an October 2000 SEARCH Foundation seminar commemorating the 80th anniversary of the foundation of the Communist Party of Australia (CPA) as arguing `that the Green's Party is closest to the best of the CPA's politics and methods'.

Question put.

The Senate divided—

AYES,30

Senators—

Abetz

Colbeck

Humphries

Payne

Bernardi

Edwards

Johnston

Ronaldson

Birmingham

Eggleston

Kroger (Teller)

Ryan

Boswell

Fawcett

Macdonald

Scullion

Boyce

Fierravanti-Wells

Madigan

Sinodinos

Brandis

Fifield

Mason

Williams

Bushby

Fisher

McKenzie

Cash

Heffernan

Parry

NOES, 36

Senators—

Arbib

Crossin

Marshall

Siewert

Bilyk

Di Natale

McEwen (Teller)

Singh

Bishop

Faulkner

McLucas

Stephens

Brown, Bob

Feeney

Milne

Sterle

Brown, Carol

Furner

Moore

Thistlethwaite

Cameron

Gallacher

Polley

Waters

Carr

Hanson-Young

Pratt

Wong

Collins

Ludlam

Rhiannon

Wright

Conroy

Ludwig

Sherry

Xenophon

Question negatived.

Statement by leave: The Leader of the Australian Greens (Senator Bob Brown), by leave, made a statement relating to the motion.

The Deputy President (Senator Parry) reminded senators of the Procedure Committee's second report of 2011 and its consideration of standing order 66 relating to procedures for dealing with formal motions and in particular, statements being made by leave which may lead to de facto debate.

Statement by leave: Senator Bernardi, by leave, made a statement relating to the motion.